De-Anne Kelly (Dawson, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to thank members for their contributions to the debate on the Telecommunications Amendment (Integrated Public Number Database) Bill 2006. I am pleased to note the broad support for the bill, and I acknowledge the support of the opposition in this matter and thank them for that. The privacy and protection of people’s personal information has become a key issue of concern to the Australian community. Today the government moves to take action against the unauthorised use of personal information which is provided by customers when they sign up for a telecommunications service and recorded in the integrated public number database, IPND. The IPND is a complete and always up-to-date electronic database of all residential and business telephone numbers and address details. Through this bill, the government tightens access to this personal information for the purpose of producing a public number directory. The bill introduces a definition of public number directory into the act in order to prevent personal information held in the IPND being directly used for unauthorised purposes.

The bill also gives the Australian Communications and Media Authority, ACMA, a key gatekeeper role in deciding applications for access to IPND information by public number directory producers and researchers. Currently the IPND gatekeeper is Telstra. Existing and prospective IPND data users will be required to apply to ACMA for an authorisation to access the IPND. Telstra will only be permitted to disclose IPND data to persons holding such an authorisation.

These measures will make it very difficult to access IPND data for unauthorised purposes, something that has occurred in the past. As well as clarifying IPND access arrangements for public directory producers, the bill allows for limited access to IPND information for some specified social research purposes that are clearly in the public interest. But, importantly, the bill does not permit unlisted customer information, including silent number information, to be published in telephone directories or to be used to conduct research. The bill requires ACMA to establish a scheme for the granting of authorisations permitting persons to use and disclose IPND information. The bill requires ACMA to consult with the Privacy Commissioner and the Attorney-General’s Department on development of the scheme. Criminal sanctions will apply for unauthorised secondary disclosure and use of IPND data and for breaches of conditions of authorisations issued under the IPND scheme.

The government’s strategy in developing legislation has always been to ensure that we have listened to the views of industry and the community. ACMA has undertaken exhaustive consultation on the issues addressed by this bill, which is a robust and effective response to the problem at hand. I again thank members for their support of the Telecommunications Amendment (Integrated Public Number Database) Bill 2006.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Ordered that the bill be reported to the House without amendment.

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